You are here:

Harper Government launches program to bring high-speed Internet to an additional 280,000 Canadian households

News Release

Connecting Canadians program will provide 98 percent of Canadian households in rural and remote regions of Canada with greater access to broadband Internet

July 22, 2014 – Ottawa – Industry Canada

From the last spike in the Canadian Pacific Railway to the opening of the Northwest Passage, Canada has worked ceaselessly to meet the great challenge of overcoming our vast distances and forging bonds between communities and regions to unite the country. In today's digital economy, Canadians live in an increasingly connected world where access to the Internet is essential to create jobs, realize economic opportunities, and link Canadians to online services as well as far-off family members and friends.

Industry Minister James Moore today announced the launch of Connecting Canadians—the Government of Canada's plan to bring high-speed Internet to 280,000 Canadian households currently without Internet or with slower access. Between now and 2017, the Government will invest up to $305 million to extend access to broadband Internet at speeds of 5 megabits per second (Mbps) to 98 percent of Canadian households, mainly in rural and remote communities. In the weeks ahead, Canadians and Internet service providers (ISP) are invited to visit the new Connecting Canadians website to offer their input on communities that could be eligible to receive funding.

This $305-million investment will provide incentives for the private sector to invest in wireless and wireline Internet services in areas of the country that previously did not have access to high-speed Internet services. This will create thousands of new investment opportunities by breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship and connecting businesses in rural areas to the rest of Canada.

Quick facts

Connecting Canadians delivers on the Harper Government's commitment in Economic Action Plan 2014 to bring high-speed Internet to an additional 280,000 Canadian households in rural and remote regions of the country.

The maps on the Connecting Canadians website were developed to obtain feedback from Canadians, ISPs, and provincial and territorial governments across the country to identify those communities that are most in need of investment for greater access to high-speed Internet.

Information about communities considered in need and eligible for funding will be made public this fall, followed by a call for applications from ISPs.

Companies interested in participating in Connecting Canadians will be invited to submit applications for projects this fall. The first projects are expected to be announced in spring 2015.

Quote

"As we move toward Canada's 150th birthday in 2017, our government is proud to launch a new program that will connect 280,000 Canadian households to high-speed Internet. Connecting Canadians is about ensuring that Canadians, whether they live in urban centres or remote regions of the country, have access to the latest wireless technologies and high-speed networks at the most affordable prices possible."